Recent applications of thermal lens spectrometry in food analysis and environmental research

This review summarizes the most recent achievements related to the application of thermal lens spectrometry (TLS) in food analysis and environmental research. All the applications are associated with the use of an appropriate analytical procedure providing sufficient selectivity, that cannot be achieved by TLS itself. Several selective reagents, biosensors and chromatographic separation procedures (IC, HPLC), used for this purpose, and their performance in combination with TLS, are described. Heavy metals and related species, pesticides, carotenoids, fatty acids, and their determination in samples such as water, fruit juices, oils and marine phytoplankton were given most consideration. The main advantages of novel analytical methods include improved sensitivity and selectivity, simplicity, minimized need for sample preparation and handling as well as reduced time of analysis.